Scalar Gauss-Bonnet Wormholes and the Imaginary Distance Bound — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We study $O(4)$ symmetric Euclidean wormholes in four-dimensional gravity with a massless scalar linearly coupled to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant. At nonzero coupling, the Einstein wormhole becomes a regular complex saddle that satisfies the Kontsevich-Segal-Witten criterion until its branch ends at a finite coupling. In asymptotically flat space, the Gauss-Bonnet term modifies the scalar displacement and the on-shell action for finite wormholes, but the size dependent parts of both corrections vanish in the large throat limit. The original imaginary distance threshold therefore remains unchanged. A negative cosmological constant already lowers the Einstein large throat imaginary distance relative to its flat space value. When the Gauss-Bonnet coupling is also present, the scalar is no longer a modulus as it develops a logarithmic running and its trajectory has infinite length. Subtracting the logarithmic asymptotic behavior leaves a finite regulated displacement. Its large throat value Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225817764
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